Ex-Israeli commander admits to 200,000 Palestinian casualties

Ex-Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi has admitted that over 200,000 Palestinians have been killed or wounded during Israel’s war on Gaza, adding that the army has “not once” been restricted by legal advice, Middle East Eye plus agencies reported on September 13th.

The figure represents over 10% of Gaza’s 2.2 million population. Halevi made the remarks during a community meeting in southern Israel in the week commencing September 8th. He led Israel’s military campaign in Gaza for its initial 17 months before resigning as chief of staff in March 2025 following the security failures surrounding the October 7th, 2023 attacks.

The casualty figure he cited aligns with estimates from Gaza’s health ministry, numbers that Israel has consistently dismissed but which the United Nations and international humanitarian agencies have described as credible.

Human rights organisations, Israeli, Palestinian, and international, have long argued that Israel’s assault on Gaza is genocidal, citing widespread killings, destruction, and intent to eradicate Palestinians in the enclave. Legal scholars have also told Middle East Eye that Israel’s actions meet the threshold for genocide under international law.

“This isn’t a gentle war. We took the gloves off from the first minute. Sadly not earlier,” Halevi said in a recording published by Israeli outlet Ynet. He insisted that the army adhered to international humanitarian law, yet also admitted that no legal restrictions had ever been imposed on its operations.

“Not once has anyone restricted me. Not once. Not the military AG [advocate general Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi] who, by the way, hasn’t the authority to restrict me,” he said.

Ynet also quoted Halevi as acknowledging the role of legal advisers in shielding Israel from accountability: “There are legal advisers who say: ‘we will know how to defend this legally in the world,’ and this is very important for the state of Israel.”

His admission comes as international condemnation grows. The International Association of Genocide Scholars has passed a resolution, stating that Israel’s actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide under Article II of the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.

Currently, the International Court of Justice is investigating Israel for genocide, while the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen. In August 2025, famine was formally declared following months of Israeli-enforced blockades and food shortages. The World Health Organisation reported on September 10th that, as of September 5th, at least 361 Palestinians, including 124 children, had died of malnutrition.

Middle East Eye plus agencies, The Guardian, Ynet, Maghrebi.org